A sunny day. A blue sky. A field full of sunflowers. That sums up summer pretty well.
On Old Sauk Road, just outside of Madison, you can find the Pope Farm Conservancy. This 105-acre farm is now owned by the Town of Middleton and has been set aside in order to maintain its “balance of wildlife habitat, historic, geologic, agricultural, environmental, and scenic features.” There are fields full of crops, restored prairies full of wild flowers, educational exhibits, and trails on which to walk and enjoy the scenery. It’s a great place to visit any time of the year, but if you happen to be there in the middle of summer, you’re likely to find people of all ages admiring a huge field of sunflowers.
These photos were taken in early August. By now the sunflowers have finished their performance for this year. But, the restored prairies are beautiful and there are many other things to see, so don’t let that stop you from visiting. Next year you might want to put the Pope Farm sunflower bloom on your calendar.